The Actor Sawamura Sojuro II c. 1750

Curator: This captivating woodblock print, dating back to about 1750, is titled "The Actor Sawamura Sojuro II" by Torii Kiyoshige. It now resides here at the Art Institute of Chicago. What's your first take? Editor: Bold, striking—especially the dynamic patterns. The layering and repetition create an interesting tension with the figure's static pose. The monochrome palate accented with beige adds an intriguing contrast, but makes it a touch somber. Curator: Well, remember that prints like this were mass-produced and relatively affordable, a key form of entertainment for the rising merchant class of the Edo period. Actors, like Sawamura Sojuro II, were essentially the pop stars of their day, and ukiyo-e prints allowed ordinary people to own images of their idols. It blurs lines between artistic practice and product manufacturing. Editor: Exactly! The patterned robe draws your attention away from the subject. Semiotically, the geometric design almost eclipses his form. Are we meant to see beyond this persona of celebrity, past the material, to see a deeper humanity? I wonder... Curator: Given that it's a portrait celebrating a specific actor, I doubt it. The clothing and stance are highly stylized. This piece uses strong line work, flat color, and a careful key block that efficiently builds detail through successive applications, each made by different artisans. His labor is involved in this artistic product as well. Editor: It's a beautiful, highly structured representation. How the artist and his workshop organize space and line, like in his sharply defined profile and meticulously patterned robes, brings order. Curator: Thinking about the economic context deepens appreciation—prints like this show shifts in labor practices and consumer cultures of that period in Japan. Editor: For me, though, that understanding amplifies the print's formal elegance, highlighting the visual harmony of color, pattern, and structure Kiyoshige employs.